Evidence That Nicotine Is Not As Addictive as Smoking

With a little help from my friends, I found it easy to resist the urge to vape.

Cravings Not As Strong and Time to First Vape Longer

Intriguingly, when vapers were asked to compare E-cigarette cravings to cravings for tobacco cigarettes, only 18% believed they were as strong. This is backed up by a 2013 study by Dr Farsalinos which found that users rated e-cigarettes as less addictive than tobacco cigarettes.

The same researchers have found that electronic cigarettes wait longer before having their first vape as compared to cigarette smokers (see graph above).

Easier to Quit Pure Nicotine Than Nicotine in Tobacco

However, the quit rate for other nicotine users is much more successful.

A study by Tonneson and Mikkelson of 69 long term users of nicotine containing products found a cessation rate of 36%. Karl Fagerstrom compared that to a success rate of quitting tobacco of 10% (as measured at 12 weeks).

However, the data needs to be treated with some caution, because:

this was a small study of just 69 users

success was measured at just 12 weeks (we know that many quitters revert to smoking after 12 weeks)

Success rates with ecigarettes do seem to back the data up – for example another small study by Professor Polosa found that over 50% of smokers given ecigs managed to stop or reduce nicotine usage in a three month period. (Polosa discussed the results with us here.)

Lab Tests on Nicotine Addiction With Rats

The addictive properties of nicotine have not been tested on people in a lab system. But tests have been conducted on animals.

The results showed:

animals are more likely to administer other dependence provoking drugs such as such as amphetamine, cocaine, and heroin

rats respond better to nicotine with other tobacco ingredients than to pure nicotine* (see below for more detail)

Possible Causes

Is nicotine the only addictive substance in tobacco?

I’ve seen claims that other elements of tobacco can cause addiction, but only recently from a scientist.

Konstantinos Farsalinos recently told us that there may be several other chemicals in tobacco, such as alkaloids, alkanes and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which make cigarettes more addictive.

Indeed, a 2009 study by Clemens et al, found rats wanted nicotine more when nicotine was combined with the following alkaloids from tobacco:

anabasine

anatabine

cotinine

myosmine

nornicotine

This evidence suggests that ecigarettes, which do NOT contain these alkaloids, are likely to be less addictive than cigarettes.

It’s also worth noting that cigarettes have more than 5 alkaloids, and it’s entirely possible that other alkaloids make tobacco smoke even more addictive.

Difference in Flavours

In contrast to cigarettes, eliquids currently come in a wide range of e-liquid flavours.

This is not something I personally agree with, but Dr Polosa told me that the flavour of e-cigarettes may have something to do with them being less addictive:

Tobacco companies have accumulated a big deal of expertise in crafting palatable tobacco aromas over the years and they know far too well that a good product requires the right balance of several ingredients…

However, in contrast to a limited number of tobacco flavours in e-cigarettes, there is a huge range of e-liquid flavours.

What’s more, many vapers eventually switch to non-tobacco flavours like blueberry and bubblegum, flavours they can’t get in cigarettes. So that’s not an argument I buy!

Electronic Cigarettes Deliver Less Nicotine Than Cigarettes

Another reason that you may find your e-cigarette is less addictive than smoking is that e-cigs deliver less nicotine than tobacco cigarettes.

In fact in one study, Bullen et al found that a 16 mg electronic cigarette only delivered 40% of that quantity of nicotine. (That’s something that experience bears out, and I usually recommend that new e-cigarette users go one strength above what they use in tobacco cigarettes.)

Chris Price of ECigarette Politics agrees with, pointing out that professional chemists on ECigaretteForum estimate that only about 50% of the nicotine in eliquid is actually contained in ecigarette vapour.

Should E-Cigarettes Be More Addictive?

Now, if you are an e-cigarette user you might be rejoicing, especially considering the often-made but unproven claim that e-cigarettes are more addictive than cigarettes.

But Dr J F Etter believes that e-cigarettes need to be more addictive in order to get more smokers off cigarettes.

And in our 2014 predictions post, he argued that the first manufacturer to produce an ecigarette that would deliver nicotine faster to the brain would take the market.

What do you think?

Thoughts from An Ex-Heroin Addict

I mentioned earlier I spoke to a friend who is an ex-heroin addict and a smoker. He told me:

The argument that nicotine is more addictive than heroin is complete bullshit. People say that because nicotine is always in your face and it’s readily available, but heroin withdrawal has a whole physical aspect to it which doesn’t exist with nicotine.

The hallucination aspect of the Trainspotting may be an exaggeration, but if anything the withdrawal symptoms are a lot worse than shown in the video because they last longer, include cold sweats and can be physically painful.

* Nicotine with alkaloids, which represents tobacco smoke, was much more likely to be self administered in comparison to nicotine without alkaloids, which would more closely represent e-cigarette vapour.

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Main blogger at the Ashtray Blog, co-author of a University of Alberta study of "Electronic cigarettes as potential harm reduction products", co-author of the book: "Electronic Cigarettes: What the Experts Say." Works at ecigarettedirect.co.uk.

20 thoughts on “Why Everything They Told You About Nicotine Addiction May Be Wrong…”

I agree with Etter that the most efficient ecig, in terms of attracting smokers, will be one that contains the other active tobacco alkaloids. We already have this in the form of WTA refills, for which there are two manufacturers currently. An alternative is ecigs + Snus. This does raise other issues, although this approach is preferable to continuation of cigarette smoking if the health issues are a concern. Since there is a percentage of smokers who cannot transfer without difficulty to a nicotine-only solution, and this may be a significant number, it is an important issue.

WTA e-liquids are an accepted part of the ecig scene in the USA, so we could look at how this has played out there. The basic argument is: “If some people cannot switch to an ecig and revert to smoking, then if they are supplied with the additional alkaloids from tobacco and can then successfully transition, what is the problem?” There are pros and cons (I have examined these in detail in articles on ECF). It’s basically whether you want to see any success rate for ecigs boosted by another 10 or 20%, and if that has any real consequences.

In general, WTAs are under the radar, both for vapers and the tobacco control industry. It’s something the TCI will get around to and attempt to use to their advantage, in the same way they finally got around to the ‘ecigs are being used for illicit drugs’ drama. Essentially, WTAs are a way to improve the conversion rate by making ecigs work better for some people: a proportion of those who would otherwise fail and revert to smoking. As such, it will be used as an attack vector by the TCI at some point (just like flavours or anything else). The reality is that it does present some issues but they are miniscule compared to the continuation of smoking.

Reposting this comment here, was trying to leave it on my mobile phone yesterday and it didn’t appear as a reply.

I am still trying to get my head around the practicality and ethics of adding tobacco alkaloids. Many vapers deliberately lower the strength of the nicotine they use over time in an attempt to completely reduce their addiction to nicotine. How would they feel about ecigs being made more addictive? The answer, from an ethical point of view, would be to give customers option of ejuice with tobacco alkaloid, but this might prove difficult from a practical point of view except for the very largest companies.

This is an issue that will be a hot topic one day. At present, for those smokers who fail to switch due to continuing cravings, if they are well-mentored then instead of failing and reverting to smoking they will be advised to add WTA e-liquids or Snus.

The pros and cons of this are ethically and practically of no relevance when compared to a return to smoking. Snus doesn’t kill anyone in statistically-detectable quantity, and neither should WTAs. But up to 50% of continuing smokers may die as a result, and according to ASH, for every fatality there are 20 more sick. A harmless dependence is below invisible on this scale.

Personally I think the government is worried about tax, they really want to load ecigs with as much tax as there is on cigaettes, they get anawful lot of tax from them, they only get the VAT on Ecigs
They have dragged their heels with any esting, the same as the EU
They will do all their testing, come up with some loopy idea, then slap a huge tax on them
Ecigs are less harmfull and an awful lot cheaper than cigarettes, they can see a cash cow coming and they want a very large slice of it

They tax everyone from the day they start work until the day they die, they load tax on as much as possible on as many things as they can get away with, ecigs are just another target for tax, and they arent going to let this get away
But with ecigs, you will live longer, hence you will pay more tax
How many deaths are down to smoking ?
How many deaths are due tro ecigs ?
I think the figures speak for them self
Just show me a chancellor that doesnt look on YOU as a cash cow

I’m not so sure. Most smokers die after they retire, so they will have paid into the tax system all their lives but do not continue to take pensions for decades. Plus, the cost of treating smoking diseases is a fraction of treating old age diseases.

Everyone dies when they retire, they are old, it happens to every old person, even young people

The jury is out on deaths by ecigs, no one can say with any certainty, because they may have used ordinary cigarettes in the past

Ecigs havent been around as long as ordiarty cigarettes

When I retired I never waited decades before I grabbed my pension as soon as I was able to, I used to smoke, I also ran marathons, I use an ecig now, only because they are cheaper than a real cigarette and I can use them any where, I used mine at Everest base camp
I really dont care for a chemistry lesson about ecigs, they work for me, I dont need to know how to make a pint, I just drink it, when I started smoking I didnt need to know what was in it or how it was made (but now I have seen how its harvested and they are made)

Not really interested in what MP’s have to think about it either,

Regarding tax, just wait and see, I have stated my personal opinion, its my opinion and everyone is entitled to it

Cigarettes worked for me, now ecigs work for me, nothing more to say about the subject

Give it time you will pay as much tax as you do on ordinary cigarettes, possible even more

Been a smoker 20+ years. A passionate and highly addicted one. Then switched to electronics and forgot about stinkies for many reasons vapers know about. One of them being that once switched to nicotine in vape instead of tobacco smoke, the whole addiction thing is much easier to handle. And “much easier” is an understatement.

I don’t deny there is still addiction, there is. But it’s nowhere near the former one.

We all know there are times when one can’t get nicotine, restaurants, airplanes, around children… And those few hours can be quite nasty. In my smoking days, I dreaded movies longer than regular 90 minutes. Three hours in theater were a bloody hell no matter how good the movie was. Being around kids for more than hour was an ordeal.

Not with an e-cig. Sure, after a while there is a message in the system saying “time for a nic hit”, but it comes much later, it’s not nearly strong and aggressive as before and, best of all, it is stubborn so when I say “not now, we’re having fun here” it politely withdraws and wait for its turn.

Sure, there is also psychological aspect of addiction, and I admit I hardly leave the house without my gear with me, not even for ten minutes. Then minutes that I don’t plan to have a single vape. But that’s not about chemical addiction.

Thank you for the comment, Dandellion. I think a lot of us vapers feel that ecig aren’t as addictive as cigarettes, which makes it annoying when there unproven claims that they are 1. More addictive than cigarettes 2. A gateway to smoking! I’ve personally noticed that if I have my ecig with me I want to vape, but if I know I can’t have it then the urge to vape wanes.

I quite agree with Dandellion – I too quit the smokes after 35 years+, and have found the nicotine addiction is still there, but much less aggressive than before.
I started on 18mg juice and am now down to 19mg or less the majority of the time. I vape three or four puffs every 15 minutes or so, and can go much longer during the day without a vape than I ever could when I was smoking.
I regularly go 3 hours plus without a chance for a vape (I’m a teacher), and it now doesn’t bother me at all; before, I would have been climbing the wall for a quick fag!
The craving is different too; it’s nicer, more sophisticated and less persuasive than a tobacco one, and much more easily subdued. I now vape because I like the ‘hand-to-mouth’ thing, and the gentle buzz (I have never had a headrush like I used to get when on the rollies), and the vapour out of my mouth.
All in all, I am delighted that I changed lifestyle, and was fascinated by your article, as so much of what you said made sense.
Thanks for posting, and I hope my comments make some sort of sense!

Thanks for the comment Andy, I think it illustrates something we have been discussing further up on the comment about adding tobacco alkaloids to eliquid (which wouldn’t be helpful for people like you who are successfully reducing nicotine strength in eliquid.)

Because whether you vape 24mg or 3mg, you’re still filling your brain’s craving for the specific amount of nicotine it feels happy with, you just use more drags of your vape to get there if the dose is smaller. If you’re hungry for a sandwich it doesn’t matter how many bites it takes to eat it.

I am a cancer survivor and vape ecigs in numerous flavors, coffee,candy corn,peach tobacco,blueberry cheesecake, etc. I have not smoked cigs in 5 months and I will never again. I have tried Chantix,zyban,nicorette patches and gum, and hypnotherapy to no avail and suicidal thoughts on Chantix. I ran a half marathon vaping 18 mg. Nicotine peach tobacco the entire way. I am a freelance writer in site need of employment or book deal. The admittance of Marlboros Mark ten ecig should say something about the upcoming downfall of tobacco as a nicotine delivery system. Harm reduction people,harm reduction. Do your homework on tobaccos added chemicals and look and the many carcinogenic properties of such. Join the fight against tobacco. I never said I wanted to quit nicotine, just smoking cigarettes. The killer is now expose and the train will roll forward. Deal with it big pharma,big tobacco, and those behind population reduction.